Sen. Eric Lesser Visits Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow

State Sen. Eric P. Lesser visited the Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow to learn more about its curriculum and to discuss the role state government can play in improving and developing deaf education in Massachusetts.

“We are fortunate to have such an innovative institution for deaf and hard-of-hearing students right in our backyard,” Lesser said. “Meeting the unique learning styles and needs of these children is paramount to our educational success here in Western Massachusetts and the entire Commonwealth.”

During his visit, Lesser met with President and CEO Robert “Bert” Carter before being led on a tour of the building, including a stops to several classrooms, where students and teachers shared current projects and discussed their ongoing work-study activities in the community.

Founded in 1967 by a group of dedicated parents who sought to establish an innovative program for their children, the school employs a unique dual-campus model, consisting of an immersion approach, in which deaf and hard-of-hearing students learn together, and an inclusion approach, in which deaf students learn alongside hearing students in the East Longmeadow school system. The school serves students from cities and towns across Western Massachusetts